What’s the healthiest sandwich? From cheese and ham to tuna mayo – nutritionist reveals the best and worst fillings

Sandwiches you pick up from the supermarket aren’t exactly the healthiest of choices. 

There’s 600-odd calories in some Pret-a-Manger baguettes – and many lunchtime favourites are also packed with additives and preservatives that could have a disastrous effect on the gut.

It’s no surprise, in the era of wellness influencers, that increasing numbers of Britons are ditching the supermarket sandwich and instead opting to make their own.

Recent polls show around two thirds of UK adults are making a conscious effort to eat out less due to the rising cost of living.

Around half of all working Britons take a packed lunch into work and, according to surveys, the sandwich remains the most popular choice.

But making your own sandwich isn’t necessarily the healthier option. As a nutritionist, I often see clients who are unaware that the lashings of butter and mayonnaise they use adds an extra 200 calories, and the two lettuce leaves they’ve included for a dose of ‘veggies’ is virtually pointless.

A portion of vegetables should weigh at least 80g in order to count towards your five-a-day.

So, what should you put in your sandwich? Here, I compare seven of Britain’s favourite fillings and reveal best – and very worst – of the bunch.

Cheese and Pickle 

Per filling, excluding bread and extra spreads:  198 calories, 8.7g saturated fat, 6.4g sugars, 10.3g protein, 0.4g fibre and 1g salt.

The great British favourite has an impressively high protein count for such simple ingredients. 

One sandwich provides at least a third of your daily needs for feeling full and keeping muscles strong. 

You’ll also get around 300mg calcium – more than 40 per cent of the 700mg adults need daily for healthy bones and teeth.

However the fairly big downsides pretty much trump the positives. First, there’s nearly 9g of saturated fat, approaching half a woman’s recommended daily maximum. 

Meanwhile, a dollop of pickle adds a teaspoon and a half of sugar, as well as a fifth of your 6g daily salt limit. By the time you’ve added two slices of bread, you’re up to nearly a quarter.

Bread also adds roughly 200-250 calories and around 3-7g of fibre, depending on the type. You’ll get virtually no extra fibre from the filling here, which is bad news for digestive health. 

Verdict: 2/5

Tuna, sweetcorn and mayonnaise 

Per filling with half a tin of tuna, 1 tbsp full-fat mayonnaise and heaped tablespoon of sweetcorn:  197 calories, 1.3g saturated fat, 2.4g sugar, 15.9g protein, 0.9g fibre and 0.62g salt.

There’s quite a bit more filling protein here than the cheese sandwich, and minimal sugar and saturated fat, but very little fibre, once again.

The sweetcorn doesn’t count towards your five-a-day unless you use two and a half heaped tablespoons, which could make for a very sweetcorn-heavy sandwich. 

It’s also worth keeping in mind that tuna isn’t a good source of omega-3 – the fatty acids that boost brain and heart health.

Since 2018 neither canned nor fresh tuna has been classified as an oily fish in the UK, given a re-analysis of its fatty acid profile found it is actually much closer to white fish than salmon or mackerel.

Swapping half the mayo for Greek yoghurt would up the protein content and trim around 40 calories.

Verdict: 4/5

Ham and mustard  

Per filling including three ham slices and 1 tsp English mustard: 64 calories, 0.4g saturated fat, 1.2g sugars, 10.9g protein, 0.2g fibre and 1.16g salt.

At just 64 calories, this is by far the lightest filling in our line-up.

So, for those following weight loss diets or with suppressed appetites due to slimming injections, it could be a good choice.

While there’s virtually no saturated fat or sugar, the salt content is high – slightly more than in the cheese and pickle sandwich.

There’s also nearly half the protein of the chicken sandwich, meaning it might not be the most satisfying.

While ham is classified as a processed meat – which we should limit to 70g a day – studies suggest it’s a much lower cancer risk than other processed meats like bacon, as it is boiled rather than fried. 

Verdict: 2.5/5

Chicken salad  

Per filling, based on 60g cooked skinless chicken breast, lettuce and tomato: 93 calories, 0.4g saturated fat, 0.7g sugars, 19.5g protein, 0.4g fibre and 0.09g salt.

Provided you use leftover roast meat or plain cooked breast rather than processed deli slices, chicken is a healthy, protein‑rich filling. 

Here, you get almost 20g protein for fewer than 100 calories, with very little saturated fat and no added salt. It also provides useful B vitamins.

However, the customary handful of salad added to your chicken sandwich contains only around half a gram of fibre. 

Most people will want to add mayo. And you can, but I’d keep it to a teaspoon or less (and preferably low-fat variety) to prevent the calories from creeping up.

Alternatively, mash about a third of an avocado straight on to the bread to keep the chicken moist and eliminate the need for butter or mayo. Then pile on a slightly more generous handful of lettuce and tomato.

Together, the avocado and salad comfortably clear the 80g threshold to count as a full 5-a-day portion, while adding extra fibre.

Verdict: 4/5

Hummus and grated carrot 

Per filling, including 3 tbsp hummus and 30g carrot: 147 calories, 1g saturated fat, 1.9g sugar, 4.3g protein, 3.8g fibre and 0.45g salt.

This plant-based filling delivers the highest fibre count in our line-up.

Between two slices of wholemeal bread, you get nearly 10g of fibre — roughly a third of your 30g daily target. This high fibre content, paired with chickpea’s slow-releasing carbohydrates, feeds a healthy gut microbiome, and ensures a gradual energy release for steadier blood sugar levels.

The combined hummus and carrot also easily count as one of your five-a-day with the carrot providing beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, to support normal immune function and healthy skin.

The fat in hummus is almost entirely heart‑healthy unsaturated fat. The only drawback is protein: at 4.3g, a hummus and carrot filling isn’t the protein powerhouse that chicken or tuna is.

To make it more filling, stir a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds into the hummus. They add crunch, minerals such as iron and zinc, and boost protein by around 3–4g. 

Verdict: 4/5

Egg mayonnaise and cress 

Per filling including, one large boiled egg, 1 tbsp full-fat mayonnaise and handful of  watercress: 188 calories, 2.4g saturated fat, 0.3g sugars, 8.1g protein, 0.2g fibre and 0.40g salt.

When served on wholemeal bread, an egg mayo sandwich delivers around 17.5g protein. 

That’s not quite as much as the chicken or tuna options, but eggs are also one of the few natural dietary sources of vitamin D, with this filling providing around 1.8mcg. 

There’s little fat, which is a plus, but the lack of fibre is a downside. If calories are your primary concern, swap it for a reduced-fat version.

Verdict: 3.5/5

Smoked salmon and cream cheese 

Per filling including around three slices of smoked salmon and two tablespoons full-fat soft cheese: 161 calories, 5.1g saturated fat, 1.3g sugar, 13.4g protein, 0.0g fibre and 2.1g salt.

The main detail to note here is the whopping great big serving of salt – a third of your daily limit before adding bread. Although salt levels in smoked salmon can vary a lot between brands, so checking the label is worth your time.

Soft cheese contributes most of the 5.1g of saturated fat – the second highest fat of all sandwiches analysed, and without the high calcium levels you get from cheddar.

But there is a decent amount of high-quality protein alongside more than your daily recommendation of long-chain omega-3 fats, which are vital for heart, brain, and eye health.

You could swap out the soft cheese for tzatziki to cut the saturated fat by roughly half and trim by around 30 calories.

Verdict: 2/5